


Just the Right Amount of Care

by EuphoricMother



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fanfiction, Fever, First Kiss, Injury Recovery, Love Confessions, Secrets, Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:01:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29846043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EuphoricMother/pseuds/EuphoricMother
Summary: When Claude is seriously injured by a poisoned lance, Byleth decides to be the one to provide the round the clock care until he is recovered enough for them to return to the monastery.Written by request.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 10
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Story line and characters involved written by request. Thanks for the story suggestion, Clbyl. Hope you like it.

“Well, we can’t be moving him,” Manuela stated matter of factly as she looked at Byleth. “Which is what I was afraid of and why I had this tent set up.” She drew a long, slow breath as she looked at Claude. “So, it seems we will be camped here for a few days.”

“I don’t wanna be out here in a tent for days. The monastery is just a little further,” Hilda complained. “I mean I understand that Claude has a nasty injury, but why do all of us have to stay camped out here? There isn’t anything we can do now that you have your medical tent set up.”

“She’s right,” Byleth stated as she looked from an unconscious Claude to Manuela. “There is no reason everyone has to stay out here. I’ll stay with him.”

“That’s taking one for the team, Professor,” Hilda stated now. “Of course, we would stay if we really had to, but we don’t have to.” She smiled as her hand moved enough to flip her pink hair behind her should. “We don’t, right?”

Byleth frowned at Hilda now. “No, you don’t. So, go ahead and prepare to continue on, but I will need you all to leave a few supplies before you go.”

Manuela watched Hilda retreat before she turned her attention back to Byleth. “I will need to stay with you, I’m afraid. I can’t just leave my patient unattended.”

“He won’t be unattended, Manuela,” Byleth pointed out. “I said I would stay with him. I’m sure I can manage it.”

Frowning, Manuela stared at Byleth for a long moment as she considered this. She really was looking forward to sleeping in her own bed. Dare she really just leave a patient to the care of someone else?

“I will be fine,” Byleth assured. “I just need you to leave me the potions you want administered and directions.” She looked at Claude now. “I don’t know what kind of poison it was that the lance was laced with, but it certainly worked fast. Too fast,” she finished quietly as she realized just how inwardly startled she had been at how quickly Claude had just dropped in mid-sentence as he held the wound in his side.

“It is a powerful concoction, Byleth, that needs around the clock attention to be sure it doesn’t end his life.” Manuela frowned as she bent over and lifted the sheet over him to look at the bandage on his side to be sure it wasn’t bleeding again despite the healing magic. “He’s actually very lucky. The wound, alone, without the aid of poison, could have killed him had it been just inches in another direction. Since he hasn’t been conscious, I haven’t been able to administer the antitoxin for him to drink. Instead, I have made an antitoxin that I have been applying to the wound. It is working much, much slower this way and why I haven’t attempted to completely heal that injury. Keeping on top of this will be the most difficult thing you do.”

“I can do it, Manuela.” Byleth looked at her now as she snapped off her arm guards and tossed them onto the ground in the corner of the tent. “I will care for him. No matter how long it takes. As long as you give me whatever I will need, detailed instructions, and I am left with food supplies for a few days, I can do this.” She smiled as she lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers. “I do know healing, too, you know.”

Manuela lightly chuckled. “I do know, Byleth, but I am afraid he will not need that until we know the poison is being neutralized.” She drew a deep breath and let it out. “All right. I will write everything down for you and leave you what I have. I will also send a messenger if you are not back in just a couple of days to get an update.” She regarded Byleth carefully for a long moment. “I am not sure I should allow this and leave him. You have to make sure you follow these instructions to the letter.”

Byleth frowned now. “Trust me, Manuela. I will care for him around the clock.“ Her eyes drifted to Claude now as he continued to rest, his breathing the only indication that allowed her to know he was even still with them. “I won’t let anything happen to him,” she finished quietly. “I promise.”

Watching the last of the team disappear on their way back to the monastery, Byleth quickly looked around the area and decided to do everything she could to be sure it didn’t have an obvious appearance. The extra supplies rested closely to the tent, covered by a canvas tarp. Luckily, they had set this quick makeshift infirmary for Manuela to administer a bit more care than her initial treatment once it became obvious that the injury was far more serious than any of them originally thought.

Stepping back into the tent, she took a few minutes to read over the instructions that Manuela had gone over with her, including all of the danger signs and what to do. Her eyes slowly shifted from the paper to Claude. Suddenly, she felt very alone, and very frightened for him. Dropping the paper onto the top of a box which held all of the potions and bandages she should need, she walked over and dropped to her knees beside him as he continued to silently lay there.

“You have to fight this, Claude,” she whispered. “You still have too much you want to do. We have too much left to do, together.”

As the afternoon turned to evening, she lit a candle and began to realize just how bored she was going to be sitting and waiting, applying antitoxin, and then sitting and waiting some more. Watching him breathe for the past hour was no way to spend the time. Drawing a long, slow breath, she knew it was close enough to when she should change the bandaging and soak the wound again. 

Gathering the materials she needed, she pulled the sheet down to his hips. Her eyes enjoyed a moment of drifting over his bared torso. Dusted with dark hair, her fingers itched to just trail over his skin while imagining he was smiling at her and looking into her eyes with his dark green ones. She looked at his face, completely relaxed, her gaze holding on his mouth a moment before she gave herself a mental boot and kicked away the visions of a kiss.

Getting back on track, she removed the bandage to carefully apply the antitoxin. As she continued to hold the dampened cotton on the wound for the medicine to soak in, her eyes lowered to the waistband of his boxers. It had been Rafael that had assisted Manuela to undress him as soon as it was obvious that he was going to be in no condition to transport. She looked over at his clothes, folded at the corner of the tent were his trousers, his shirt and jacket torn and bloodied crumpled next to them, and his boots and bag of fresh clothes.

Frowning, she directed her attention back to her task at hand and slowly began to lift the cotton to reveal the wound that still looked raw and open due to only partial healing. “Damn,” she sighed. “I hope this is working, Claude. I have to do a little bit of healing again,” she muttered as she placed her hands on the wound and began to concentrate to channel healing magic remembering that she was not to completely heal him. Lifting her hands, she smiled as she decided she had done as instructed and began to apply a new bandage. Pulling the sheet back up to his shoulders, she allowed her hand to lightly trail over the whiskers along his jaw a moment before she decided to spread her bedroll next to him and attempt to rest for just a bit.

Byleth was awakened by the soft groans and grunts from Claude as his head slowly moved. Quickly lighting another candle so she could see him better, she moved to her knees and watched a moment as he began to mutter. Leaning closer, she listened, but did not understand what he was saying. “Claude,” she softly spoke, hoping he would open his eyes and be alert. Such was not the case as she watched him continue to seemingly fret over something. 

“Claude, you need to stay still.” Her hand lifted to touch his head. “Oh, no,” she exclaimed as she trailed her hand to feel his cheek, then his shoulder, before she lifted the sheet and pressed her hand against his chest. There was no doubt that he was burning with a fever. She scuttled about to pour some water into a bowl and dipped a cloth into it, carefully wiping it over his cheeks before laying it across his forehead. Pulling the sheet down to his waist, she only hoped she could cool him down as she grabbed another cloth to dampen and slowly wiped it over his chest and arms.

She watched his eyes open and smiled. “Claude?” He continued to mutter the same words over and over. It was clear to her that even though his eyes were open, he did not see her. “What is it you are trying to say?” She took the cloth from his head and dipped it back into the water before wringing it out and placing it back on his forehead as he continued to slowly mumble.

“What are you saying?” She leaned closer to listen. “I just don’t understand this tongue you are using.” She frowned a moment as she thought about what she was hearing. Eyes widening, it came to her. “It’s Almyran,” she said as she stared at him. “You, you speak Almyran.” She stared at him as he muttered the same things again. “I don’t understand it,” she hopelessly whispered as she dipped the cloth back into the bowl of water before laying it back onto his forehead, a process she continued in effort to get the fever to break. Finally, his eyes slowly closed, and she hoped he was settling again.

It had been an incredibly long night of constant care and attention with Byleth finally managing to fall asleep when Claude’s fever broke just hours before the sun began to creep up over the horizon. Her hand, resting on his chest as she quietly slept closely next to him, was the best way she could come up with to know if he began to fret again. If he moved, she would wake.

Claude’s eyes slowly opened as he began to push the fog from his head. He stared up at the tent ceiling trying to place where he was and what was happening. He swallowed against a dry throat and thick feeling tongue. The ache in his side caused his brows to furrow as he attempted to rewind his thoughts bringing his last memory to mind. They were fighting Agarthans, or were they? No, they had moved on from that. As he began to think about this, his mind shifted, realizing there was someone against him.

Turning his head, he focused his eyes on Byleth as she layed next to him. Blinking to clear his vision a bit more, he took a moment to glance over the interior of the tent, the few boxes, what appeared to be her armor in a pile, and then back to her. What was this about? Moving his hand, he realized that he seemed to be lacking his clothes under the sheet draped over him. He looked back at Byleth now as her hand continued to rest on his chest. Had he missed something important? 

Sucking a deep breath was a move he quickly regretted as pain gripped his side, making him tense and grunt in response. Turning his head, he watched Byleth’s eyes flutter open before she bolted up a bit to look at him. “Hey, Teach,” he roughly whispered.

“Claude,” she sighed. “What a relief to see you awake and coherent.” Pushing up to sit next to him, she pointed at him. “Don’t you move,” she directed. Turning her head, she grabbed the instructions from Manuela and then began to look into a box and read a few potion bottles before she retrieved the one she wanted. 

She moved back to rest on her knees beside him. “You have to drink this for me. Manuela said I needed to get this into you as soon as you woke up. It’s supposed to help take away any lingering effects of the poison before you move around too much.” She pulled the cork from the bottle and slipped her hand under his head and tipped the bottle to his lips, smiling as he scowled at the taste of it. “There.”

“That is nasty,” he managed as she slowly lowered his head. 

“I need to check your wound and change the bandage,” she softly said as she looked at him. That he was awake and could actually talk to her coherently filled her with relief. “You scared the hell out of me, you know.”

“I’m sorry,” he offered. “I don’t really remember much.”

“Well,” she began as she started gathering the antiseptic and bandaging material, “we were heading back to the monastery after fighting the Agarthans and got ambushed by some Imperial hold outs. They really snuck up on us.” She frowned now as she recalled the unexpected attack. “I should have noticed them. I know I should have protected you better,” she muttered as she turned back to him. “I’m so sorry.”

He moved his hand from under the covers to rest it on hers. “Hey, Teach, no worries. I’m still here.”

“Yeah, well, there was real fear that you weren’t going to be okay from this, Claude,” she softly admitted. “I couldn’t have lived with myself if that had happened.”

His fingers slightly tightened on hers. “I don’t know why a lance attack caused me to—” he hesitated a moment before his eyes closed as his brain recalled what she had just told him, “poison.” He looked at her. “Damn poison.”

She nodded. “And one that Manuela was very concerned about. We couldn’t move you because of the way the injury and the poison were seemingly working in some twisted way to kill you.” She set her supplies down beside her as she kneeled beside him. “And you couldn’t drink any antitoxin because you were completely out.”

“So, where is everyone?”

“I sent them back. There was really no reason everyone had to stay out here,” she said as she slowly lowered the sheet to his hips and looked at the bandaging. “I need to change this and check the wound,” she said as her eyes moved to his. “I’ll try not cause too much discomfort.”

He slightly smiled at her as he felt a bit thick headed again. “Do what you need to,” he softly said as he closed his eyes for a minute.

Alarmed that he might be losing consciousness again, she said, “Claude? Are you still with me?”

“Still here,” he slowly responded. “Just trying to settle my muddled brain.”

She let out a sigh of relief and directed her attention back to her task. As she slowly pulled the bandage back, she was relieved to see it was finally showing signs of improvement. “I need to clean this a bit. Since you can drink the potions now, I can heal the wound up completely,” she said as she continued her duty. As she slowly cleaned the ragged looking wound, her eyes lifted to his face, his brows furrowing in slight discomfort. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“It’s okay, Teach,” he slowly responded, his eyes slightly opening to look her. Her face was reflecting her full concentration as her hands moved to rest on the wound and she channeled the healing. The warmth and relief he began to feel was almost immediate. “Ah, that is much better,” he whispered.

She smiled as she slowly moved her hands, pleased at the result. “Good. I think you may be out of the woods now, but I’m not ready for you to move too much just yet.” She lightly spread on a bit of medicinal ointment and applied a clean bandage. “There.” She rested back on her heels and smiled at him. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally see you awake.”


	2. Chapter 2

“So, how long have I been in this incapacitated state?” Claude asked as he enjoyed the smile on her face, content in the fact they were completely alone no matter the circumstance, with no prying eyes.

“Well, this happened yesterday. It’s almost been a full day.” She reached out to arrange the sheet over his ribcage before settling to sit next to him as she reached for a water bag. Slipping her hand under his head, she carefully gave him some water before saying, “I thought you were awake for a period last night when you began to talk to yourself a bit, but you were actually running a nasty fever and a bit delirious.”

His brows drew together as he considered what he may have confessed in a fevered state. “I was talking?” He watched her nod. “That’s not necessarily a good thing. Apparently, I can’t even manage to keep my mind from divulging it’s relentless train of thoughts even when poisoned.”

“Well actually, I couldn’t understand what you were saying. At first, I thought it was just jibberish, but then I realized you were talking in another tongue.” She met his gaze with hers. “It took me a few minutes to figure it out, but you seem to speak Almyran.” She watched the muscle in his jaw clench a moment. 

“Do I?” His brows lifted a bit as he directed his eyes to stare at the ceiling as he tried to think of a way to explain this one. Seemed his cat had bolted from the bag and there was no chance of shoving it back in. Not with her.

She nodded. “Apparently, you do. And you said the same things over and over.” Her brows furrowed as she tried to recall the words he was saying. She remembered repeating them to herself in an effort to remember. “Let’s see, I tried to repeat them to myself so I could ask you about it. it was something like dur,” she thought a moment and then continued, “durmak? Is that it?”

He looked at her while she stared at him waiting to see if he was going to tell her what it meant. “Stop,” he finally said.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” she softly responded as her eyes dropped to her lap.

“No, Teach, you misunderstood,” he explained. “Durmak means stop.”

Her eyes widened a moment. “You are Almyran. I should have known.” Her hand gestured toward him. “I mean, look at you. Not completely obvious, but enough.” 

“Teach, I need you to….”

She lifted her finger at him, cutting off his sentence as she said, “Tell me what the rest of it is.” Her eyes lifted to stare at the side of the tent a moment as she tried to think of how to say the next thing. “Okay, this is harder, lutfen bana…um, yardim et,” she frowned at the last part, “etmelisin?”

He couldn’t help smiling at her recall of his words. It was clear that he had to have repeated them several times. Her recall couldn’t be so clear if he had only said it once. “Please, you have to help me.”

Her face furrowed in a sympathetic expression as she considered he was clearly distressed in his fevered dream state. “Oh, you were having a horrible dream,” she softly stated. And sikis?”

He chuckled now, immediately regretting it as his hand moved to his side. “Fuck.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she placed her hand on his. “I didn’t mean for you to hurt yourself.”

His head slowly shook. “No, the word you said, is fuck.”

Her brows shot up. “Okay, so apparently, you needed help and were frustrated that something or someone wouldn’t stop,” she slowly deduced. “There were other mumblings you didn’t repeat again and again. So, I don’t remember them. Oh!” she smiled. “Just one more you repeated a few times, but I don’t know if I have this one. Let’s see,” her brows drew together as she continued, “Onu—um, sevi, sevi—something.” She growled in irritation at forgetting.

Claude wasn’t so sure he wanted to help her with this particular sentence it sounded like he ventured to repeat as it could just admit something to her that he wasn’t sure he wanted her to know just yet. Or did he?

She looked at him. “I must not have this right, huh. I know it was onu seviyo…ugh! Dammit.”

Seeing her frustration softened his resolve. He softly said, “Onu seviyorum.”

“That’s it!” She waited for him to translate for her, when he didn’t, she pressed, “Well? What does it mean?” Her brow lifted as she waited. “Come on, it can’t be any worse than the last translation.”

“I don’t know that I want to tell you this one,” he admitted quietly. 

“Really? Why not?” A pale brow hiked. “Something a bit personal?”

“Something like that.” He enjoyed being able to share conversation with her that wasn’t based in war and tactics or taking place over a meal in the crowded dining hall. “Why don’t you tell me why I have no pants on instead.”

She frowned as she looked at him. “I don’t know that you should know that,” she softly answered. “Rafael handled getting everything off he needed to so Manuela could properly treat you and make you comfortable.” Leaving out the part that removed his boxers.

“Okay, but I seem to be lacking any pants of any kind at all.” He smiled at her. “Just curious as to how much exposure I have had and to how many.”

She chewed on her lower lip a moment before she decided to share the rest that was sure to mortify him. “Only me. I had to take care of removing your under clothes shortly after your fever broke and you settled back down because, well, bodily functions happen. It’s why you have a dry, extra blanket wedged under your hips.”

“Perfect,” he groaned as he closed his eyes for a moment. Opening them to stare up at the ceiling of the tent, he said, “So, you’re saying I pissed myself, and you cleaned it up.”

She nodded. “I couldn’t just leave you soiled,” she quietly offered. “But it was mostly dark, and I really tried not to invade your privacy too much,” she added as she recalled carefully tending to remedy the situation without staring. “Ignatz brought me your bag of clean clothes, but I was afraid to put any back on in case you didn’t wake up and it happened again,” she slowly explained. “And I wasn’t sure that I could manage it without hurting you. I’m sorry, Claude, but I had to.”

His hand moved to take hers as she sat beside of him. When her eyes lifted to his, he said, “Onu seviyorum. It means, I love her.” He watched her eyes lower to their hands, and he slightly squeezed her hand. “Seni seviyorum,” he whispered. When she looked at him, he said, “Means, I love you.”

Her eyes held his for a long moment before she dared to ask the question foremost in her mind now. The question she was afraid to hear the answer to because she knew it would crush her spirit until she could manage to recover. “Do you know who you were talking to in your dream? Or talking about?”

“I can’t recall the dream, Teach,” he admitted softly, “but there is only one person that comes to mind for me to admit such a thing.” His eyes held hers. “It is truly unfortunate that I am in this ridiculous position at the moment. It really is not how I wanted this to come out.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” she said as she drew a deep breath and reached over to pick up the instructions Manuela had written with her free hand while his hand continued to hold her other. Anything, she thought, to keep him from seeing the touch of sadness she knew had to be reflecting in her eyes. “I, apparently, have to give you another potion to help fight infection. Just in case,” she quietly added.

She watched him attempt to sit up, grimacing a bit as he did so. “Claude, you shouldn’t be moving so much,” she said as her hands moved to help him. “Where to you think you’re going anyway. Remember, I have your pants.”

“I’m not going anywhere, I just wanted to sit up a bit rather than lay there like some pathetic patient.” He drew a deep breath as he adjusted himself to actually sitting, his hand absently coming to rest on his bandaged wound.

Byleth reached out to adjust the sheet around his hips a bit more, her eyes lingering for a moment on the dark trail of hair leading downward from his navel to disappear under the sheet before she looked up into the deep green of his eyes. “You should be more careful,” she softly said. “I’ll get you the medicine you need to drink.”

His hand reached out to her shoulder to stop her from turning away. “Teach. Byleth,” he waited until she looked at him. A slight smile touched his lips. “It is you, don’t you know that? Can’t you tell?”

“What?” she squeaked as she stared at him.

A smile grew on his lips as a brow lifted. “Can’t say that I am just telling you this because you are caring for me as I lay here incapacitated and naked. Especially, since I was clearly telling someone in my fevered dream.” He moved his hand from her shoulder to rest under her chin to tip her head back toward his as she attempted to look away. 

Her eyes slowly met his. It was a confession she had imagined in her mind over and over again as they pushed their way through this war. Ever since she saw him that morning in the Goddess Tower when they met again after her hibernation. Each time her eyes met his over a shared dinner, during a conversation between just the two them, any time she watched him talk during their war counsel meetings, she foolishly imagined him loving her. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing seemed to come out.

“I guess I have a lot of explaining to do before you will believe me,” he said. “I need to keep my Almyran heritage a secret until I complete a few things. It’s important that you help me by not telling anyone.” His thumb slowly began to move along the curve of her jaw as his hand continued to hold under chin. “Please, Teach,” he softly pleaded, “believe me when I tell you that I will tell you everything soon. In the meantime, I want you to know that I do love you.”

“Byleth. Call me Byleth, Claude,” she softly directed as she slowly leaned toward him, softly meeting his lips with hers, before she rested back again and smiled. “If we are being honest, Claude, I love you, too.” She watched him smile. “It is why I wanted to stay and be sure you were cared for. I couldn’t have been able to leave you not knowing if you were getting better or suffering.” Her eyes widened. “Oh! You have to drink this potion before I forget,” she said as she moved to read the few bottles until she got the one she wanted.

Claude took the small bottle from her after she pulled the little cork. “Sure hope this one tastes better,” he muttered. “I could also use a drink of something less medicinal,” he added just before he downed the concoction.

“Of course, you could. What kind of care giver am I anyway,” Byleth muttered as she got up and began to gather a couple of cups, a jug of water, and a few pieces of fruit, bread, and some jerky into a little basket. She sat back down and poured him some water, handing it to him as she took the small potion bottle. “I don’t imagine you should eat too much just yet, but maybe some bread?” She stared at him. “Actually, how are you feeling?” she asked as she watched him drain his cup.

“Not too bad, considering. The fog that was hindering my otherwise sharp thought pattern has pretty much lifted. Not really hungry, though, but really thirsty.” He allowed her to refill his cup and drank it down.

Byleth lifted a brow as she looked at him. “You might want to slow down that water intake until you are better able to get up, if you get my drift? I mean, there are only so many dry sheets.”

Claude couldn’t help chuckling now. “I think I can manage to keep from making that same embarrassing mistake again. Yet another little secret I will beg you to keep locked away for me.”

“Deal, but I think you should probably just relax back again and rest. There is a messenger that will come tomorrow, but we may be able to head back in the morning and send a clean up team to break down the camp.” She carefully helped him lay back.

Claude’s hand came around the back of her head as he layed back, and he pulled her so he could bond his lips with hers for a long moment before he released her. “How about you just relax here with me for a bit? Honestly, you look really tired. If I had to guess, I would say you spent most of the night awake and dealing with an unruly patient that didn’t even have the courtesy to speak so you could understand him.”

“For just a bit,” she agreed. “I need to keep alert in case we are spotted here, or you need something.” She layed back down next to him on her bedroll while her fingers happily laced with his as he took her hand. She could relax now. He was finally out of the woods.


	3. Chapter 3

Byleth slowly opened her eyes to a darkening tent interior. She frowned as she realized that her sleeping pattern was clearly a mess now. Lifting her head, she looked at Claude as he quietly layed beside her, his hand still loosely holding hers. Trying not to disturb him, she pushed up and moved to light a candle. Her lips compressed in slight concern as she realized he hadn’t moved at all as yet. 

Her hand slowly lifted to feel his forehead, her sigh of relief that he was not feverish again audible. The hint of a smile touched her lips as his eyes slowly opened and he looked at her. “Just checking on my patient,” she softly said as her hand trailed down his cheek to his jawline where her fingers slowly trailed the soft, dark whiskers. 

“Still here,” he quietly stated. His hand lifted to her face, the backs of his fingers softly skating down her cheek. “I often wanted just a bit of private time with you. Just the two of us with no interruptions.” A dark brow arched. “This is not the way I imagined it.”

She smiled, enjoying his touch. “How did you imagine it?”

A slight smile touched his lips. “That might be best left to myself, but I can say, that I am currently dressed for the occasion.”

The skitter up her spine as his quieted voice admitted his desire to be entwined together as lovers was a strong one. “I—” she paused a moment as she stared into his eyes, “have to check your wound,” she softly finished. “How does it feel?”

“Not too bad,” he answered. He watched her as she adjusted the sheet and then removed the bandage. “So, will I be horribly disfigured with a nasty scar?” he teased.

She couldn’t help her smile as she examined how well it was healing now and decided that one more healing session should chase away the lingering ache. “I don’t think you have to worry about that,” she answered as she rested her hands on his wound and let her magic flow. Pulling her hands back she smiled at him. “There. No need for the bandage anymore.” She looked over at the box of potions and picked up the instructions from Manuela. “I think I need to give you one more potion though.” She rattled around in the box and pulled out the one she needed.

Claude carefully pushed himself up, pleased that the wound didn’t ache nearly as bad as it had. “Feels much better,” he stated as he took the potion she held out to him. “I hope this is the last dose of these concoctions.”

Byleth watched him down it and handed him a cup of water. “I think so. You seem to be recovered. I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am about that.”

“Pretty happy about it myself,” he said as he finished his water and handed the cup to her. “But, I do need to see if I can get to my feet.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?”

He lightly chuckled. “Not so much a case of want to as much as it is a case of need to, if you get my drift. In other words, I don’t want you to have to clean up after me again.”

“Oh! Okay. Just a minute,” she said as she stood. “I’ll help you, but first I need to get you this.” She grabbed his bag of belongings from the corner and handed it to him. “I’ll just turn around so you can pull something on before you stand up.”

“Thanks,” he said as he rooted through the bag and pulled out a clean pair of boxers. Laying back, he pulled them on, feeling a slight ache in his side at his efforts, but managed. “Okay, but honestly, not real sure why you felt you needed to turn around. I mean, after the duty you pulled last night, not much left to hide anymore, is there?” 

She turned now and reached her hands down to clasp his, bracing herself as he pulled up. “Move slowly, Claude,” she said as he stood in front of her, still holding her hands. “You okay?”

His head still felt a bit cloudy, but he wasn’t sure he wanted her to know that at the moment. He released her hands to slip them around her, slowly pulling her closer. “Byleth,” he whispered. Tipping her head up to look at him as he spoke her name, he bonded his lips to hers while his arms held her tighter.

Byleth’s arms wrapped around him, enjoying the feel of his warm skin. Her eyes closed as she savored his slow kiss. Parting, she stared into his eyes a moment before she leaned up into him for another. Her lips parted, allowing him to slowly tease her tongue with his. She felt as if she were going to melt into him as his arms tightened just a touch more.

Reluctantly, he loosened his hold on her and slightly pulled back so he could look at her. “As much as I would love to continue this interlude, I really need to tend to some business, and I think lay down again.”

Her brows furrowed. “Claude, are you feeling ill?”

“No, just a bit off yet.” He smiled. “Maybe, it is just you that is making me lightheaded.”

“I doubt that,” she said as she carefully looked at his face. “I do think we need to get you back down, though.”

He lifted a finger. “After.”

She chuckled now and took his hand as they walked out of the tent and into the air. “Okay, you go on that side of the tent, and I will go this way. Do not go too far.”

“No, ma’am,” he said. “No shoes and getting too dark to make any kind of a getaway.”

As soon as they got back into the tent, Byleth quickly arranged new bedding for him to lay on and helped him back down. “Dammit,” he sighed as he layed back. “This is not how I wanted to spend our first opportunity completely alone.” He looked at her. “I really need to know what kind of poison that was. See if I can figure out how to duplicate it.”

“You can’t be serious, Claude.”

“Dead serious.”

“Well, you almost had the dead part of it yourself. As for the serious,” she said as she reached out and adjusted the sheet over him, “are you feeling better now that you are laying down again?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. I would like to change into something fresh since I am wearing the same thing I have been wearing since the battle yesterday.” She looked over at her bag a moment before she walked over and rummaged through it to pull out clean leggings and a t-shirt. “And now,” she said as she walked over and blew out the candle making the tent dark.

“Hardly seems fair at all,” Claude stated as he waited for his eyes to adjust a bit to the darkness.

“Really?” she said as she stripped off her dirty clothes. “But you were unconscious and needed direct care or that never would have happened.” A bold thought crept into her head as she stood in the dark without a single shred of clothing. She slowly lowered to all fours and moved toward him. 

“True,” he answered, catching a slight shadowing as she was moving toward him. “That was fast.”

‘Mmmmhmmmm,” she hummed as she reached a hand out to her bedding next to his, to see how far from him she was. “How do you say that again? Seni sevi…”

“Seni seviyorum,” he softly stated. 

“That’s it. I love you,” she softly said as she layed beside him, shifting so that she was against him.

Claude’s soft moan, as he felt her naked body against him, couldn’t be helped. He felt her pull his sheet a bit so she shared it with him. “Byleth, you…” he wasn’t quite sure how he wanted to finish his sentence as he moved to situate his arms around her. 

“Just thought I would even things up a bit,” she softly replied as she moved just a bit tipped her head upward. 

“I love you, Byleth,” he whispered against her cheek before finding her lips. Turning slightly, he ignored the slight ache in his side so he could hold her closer and enjoy the feel of her body against the length of his. His tongue slowly pushed its way between her teeth and lazily mingled with hers. His hand slowly moving to softly feel its way over her hip and up her ribcage before settling on her breast. His teeth lightly captured her lower lip a moment as they parted. 

Byleth’s hand moved so that she could push her fingers under the waistband of his boxers. “I think it is you that is overdressed tonight,” she purred against his cheek. “But since you are still recovering, perhaps, that is a good thing.”

“I beg to differ,” he softly argued. “There are ways around everything.” His fingers began to softly tease her nipple while he dropped a light kiss to her lips. “I think a bit of slight discomfort due to an injury is well worth the pleasure I could be feeling with you.”

“And the possible lingering poison?” she murmured between his light kisses. 

“Mmmmm, the lightheaded feeling is no doubt your effect on me, my love, and not at all some bizarre deadly poison.”

She pulled back a bit. “You’re lightheaded?”

“Am I?”

“Claude.”

He lightly pinched her nipple. “I’m fine, Byleth.” He rubbed his nose playfully against hers. “I promise. All I feel right now is a slight ache in my side, a growing hunger in my shorts, and love for you while I wish it was light enough to see you.”

“Lay back,” she directed. “I’ll see if I can’t make that ache in your side a bit better.” She pushed up to sit beside him as he moved to lay back as she asked. Her hands moved to feel the scarring as she said, “This may take care of the ache while the glow of the magic will also allow you to slightly see me.”

“Heal away,” he said as he waited for the faint glow to grow, casting a dim light enough to allow him to see her smiling at him as her hands rested on his wound, her breasts lightly aglow before the light faded again. “Much better,” he said as his hand moved to wrap around hers. “And you just disappear into the darkness again like some dream.”

“Sorry about that, but you said you just wanted enough light to see me. I took care of the ache in your side and your desire to have enough light to see me all at once. But, I seem to recall something about a growing hunger?” 

His fingers slightly tightened on hers as he continued to hold her hand. “You want to help me with that one, too?”

“Perhaps,” she answered as her hands moved to slide his boxers downward. She smiled to herself as his hands moved to assist her in removing them. Her hand slowly trailed up his leg before she ventured to carefully move over him so she was positioned on all fours with him under her. Leaning forward, she lowered her upper body onto his chest and whispered in his ear, “You will let me know if anything hurts?”

His soft sigh filled the tent as his hands slowly moved up and down her back. “Sweetheart, you can do whatever the hell you want to me whether it hurts or not.” His lips found hers while a soft rumble sounded in his throat as she slowly lowered her hips onto his. Slightly rocking his hips forward, he enjoyed the feel of his hardened appendage moving against her.

Pulling her lips from his, she pushed up to rest her hands on his shoulders and, ever so slowly, slid her wet folds along his length. The sound of his soft sigh of pleasure at her motion made her smile, and she ventured to settle down a bit more to make the contact even more stimulating as she continued to rock. Drawing her lower lip between her teeth, she lifted up and reached down to wrap her fingers around him. Positioning his tip to her opening, she sighed as she carefully lowered herself to take him in.

“Ah, that is…ah…just perfect,” he managed as his hands slid to her breasts while she shifted back a bit, bracing her hands on his ribcage. For a few moments, he considered if he was still in some fevered dream as she continued to slowly slide him into her depths. Skating one of his hands down her abdomen, he pushed his fingers between them to seek out her nub.

Byleth pushed herself up a bit more to allow him easier access and then settled herself down, seating him deeply within her. She softly moaned as his thumb began to encircle her clit sending a ripple of heat up her abdomen. Her fingers moved over his torso, enjoying the feel of his masculine body before she tipped just a bit further back. 

Claude could barely make out her shadowy figure as she slowly rocked her hips over his as his thumb continued its deliberate assault. The slight rocking of her hips was just enough to keep his brain floating with pleasure without pushing him too close. The sounds of her soft voice as she sighed and moaned was as beautiful as any holy choir raising their voices to the goddess. He could feel her muscles constricting around him as she pushed herself nearly flush against him.

Closing her eyes, Byleth’s head tipped back as she felt herself winding tighter and tighter like a spring about to pop. Lifting up just a touch, she rocked her hips and pushed back down against him to feel him deeply filling her. His thumb began to apply to a bit more pressure as it moved while the fingers of his other hand teased her nipple. Lifting just a bit she pushed back down and let a long moan of pleasure escape her lips as she felt herself explode against him.

If he could have possibly wanted anything else at that moment, it was to have been able to see her in that instance. A moment of unbridled expression of satisfaction while seated on top of him. As she slid her hands up his torso and brought them to rest on his shoulders, his brain nearly shorted when she began a steady rhythm. So hot and slick, he was sure that the that groaned words that fell out of his mouth were ones he dared not repeat.

His hands gripped her hips, as she continued a steady movement along his length pulling a growl from his throat as he felt himself getting closer and closer to the edge. Feeling her begin a more deliberate tempo, his fingers tightened on her as the telltale pulse turned to his pouring deeply into her with a deep groan of pleasured release. His hands slipped up her ribcage and around her back, gently pulling her down until he held her closely against his chest as he drew a couple deep breaths.

She tipped her head pressed a kiss to his neck, completely content. “Feel okay?” she softly asked.

“Sweetheart, I don’t think I could possibly feel better.” 

“Mmmm, perhaps, if I got off of you,” she said as she slowly moved to nestle beside him. “There.” She tipped her head upward and happily joined her lips with his. Parting, her hand traveled up to thread her fingers into his thick hair and pulled so she could kiss him again. “Tell me, that when we get back, you aren’t going to put some distance between us for appearance reasons.”

His arm tightened around her. “I don’t care who knows I love you, Byleth. We do need to spend a bit of time talking about a few things and what it will mean for us going forward together.”

She frowned. “That sounds almost ominous.”

“I don’t mean it be,” he said and dropped a quick kiss to her lips. “You and I will end up together. I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

He lightly chuckled as he hugged her. “I hope you do.”


End file.
